Fans of cosmic horror won’t want to miss Beyond the Drumlins at Panic Fest 2025. The film was directed by Dan Bowhers (Blue Hour: The Disappearance of Nick Brandreth), who also wrote the film with Michael Kowalski. Beyond the Drumlins follows a group of academics as they venture into the woods looking for an archaeological dig site for the next semester’s students. When they awake after the first night to discover one of their team is missing, the group descends into confusion and chaos.

The unexplained and unknown always incites fear. Beyond the Drumlins takes that basic idea and amplifies it. The group of five venturing into the woods seem like they are equipped for the journey. All begins well, until they spend the night in the remote area and wake up to find the youngest of the team has vanished. This is just the beginning of what awaits them. As they desperately search for their friend, it’s clear something unnatural and mysterious is occurring in these woods. Once two of the team members find an ancient stone structure with bizarre carvings, worry turns to panic, often leading to violent outbursts. The filmmakers sprinkle in bits of lore, hinting to the audience as to what might be happening to those unfortunate enough to enter the woods. Yet audiences who like to have a clear mythos that’s fully explained will be disappointed, as most of the events largely remain a mystery. It’s sure to frustrate some viewers, wanting to better understand the horrors, but this lingering unknown works well in the context of Beyond the Drumlins. The characters can only speculate, just as the audience can only speculate at the truth. The mystery adds to the terror, keeping everyone guessing what will happen next.

The core group of five all give great performances in Beyond the Drumlins. The team consists of Michael Kowalski (Blue Hour: The Disappearance of Nick Brandreth) as the archaeology professor and team lead, Emma Jessop (SEAL Team) as a teaching assistant, Morgan DeTogne (Blue Hour: The Disappearance of Nick Brandreth) and Dan Titmuss (Blue Hour: The Disappearance of Nick Brandreth) as fellow academics in different fields, and Michael Gilhooly (Oz) as a hired contractor. While they all deliver strong performances, especially as each individual descends into madness, there are two standouts. Jessop’s portrayal of student and TA, Cameron, is wonderful. There is an eagerness and determination to the character, yet as the group go deeper into the woods, Jessop makes it apparent Cameron is the first to feel the effects. Titmuss, on the other hand, adds a bit of comedic relief as Tanner. He has a dry sense of humor that lightens the mood at times, but Titmuss still makes it apparent the character is reliable when necessary.

The filmmakers took care to keep the imagery relatively subtle throughout Beyond the Drumlins. At first, the audience will begin to notice faces in the foliage and shadowy figures appearing and disappearing. Then the formation is discovered. The ancient rock seems very out of place in the woods, looking almost as if it’s from another world, covered in intricate geometric carvings of unknown origin. The formation also has a large hole on one side that peers into a deep darkness, yet at times it looks as though something might be moving within. This discovery leads to more unsettling CGI and practical effects as the horrors unfold. Many of the visual effects could have been silly, but by keeping it understated the effects fit well with the story.

Beyond the Drumlins is a cosmic horror journey into the unknown that allows the audience to guess at the truth behind the chaos. The lack of clear answers will certainly polarize audiences, but the story Bowhers and Kowalski have crafted is sure to stimulate the mind. The characters are well developed and the actors portray those characters in a believable, compelling way. Even the visual effects, which are generally quite subtle and simplistic, add to the intrigue and mystery surrounding the rock formation. Be sure to see Beyond the Drumlins with other people; that way you’ll have someone to discuss theories with.

OVERALL RATING: 7/10